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Maggie Mui
Maggie Mui (マギー・ムイ Magī Mui), a.k.a. Ma-nee: The tall, boyish, quiet middle sister of the Paper Sisters Detective Company. At the time of the ROD TV series, Maggie is 20 years old. Her surname (which can also be spelt as Mei or Moy, depending on the system used) means "plum" or "prune" and is a common one in Hong Kong and the neighboring Chinese province of Kwangtung. (Until her recent death, Anita Mui was a leading Hong Kong actress and recording star.) Appearance and Personality Maggie is the tallest of the three sisters. Her black, unruly hair is cut short. She usually dresses in slacks and long, loose shirts. On other occasions, she wears mens' suits. Like her sisters, Maggie also has an elaborate white fighting costume with a black combat leotard underneath. Though often careless of her appearance, Maggie is actually quite attractive. Maggie is the quietest and the most modest of the three Paper Sisters. She is the typical middle sister, balancing Anita King's fiery temper and Michelle Cheung's bossiness with her own realism and straightforwardness. Maggie says little, but when she does speak she cuts straight to the heart of the matter and her suggestions show calm good judgment. She looks up to her older sister Michelle and feels she's nothing compared to her, but occasionally she will restrain Michelle's wilder flights of fancy. Maggie is extremely protective of Anita, and can calm her little sister down when Michelle cannot. Maggie's quietness and placid exterior mask a complex and conflicted personality. Maggie is brave and decisive in battle and times of physical danger, but many ordinary situations leave her baffled and uncertain. She blushes frequently and is easily embarassed. She never complains, but she sometimes feels overwhelmed by her role in the family and the many tasks that her sisters thrust upon her. Despite her great abilities, Maggie suffers from a lack of confidence. This is especially true in social situations. Maggie is almost pathologically shy; Michelle bluntly calls Maggie "antisocial," and Anita thoughtlessly reminds her that she has no friends. Maggie is very reclusive, and spends much of her time "nesting:" reading and relaxing in tight cozy spots. She even sleeps in a closet. Most of the time she seems perfectly happy being by herself, but sometimes her lack of friends depresses her. Maggie certainly has few human contacts outside her family. She seems to be somewhat closer to Nenene Sumiregawa than her other sisters are; she often gives Nenene back massages. Maggie's sexuality--like that of several other ROD characters--is uncertain. Her fondness for men's clothing may be indicative. Michelle refers to her as "unfeminine," a description Maggie accepts without complaint. Yet when a sleeping Nenene snuggles up against her, Maggie reacts with something like panic. Fans have speculated that Maggie and Nenene may have crushes on one another. In the Japanese script of the TV series, Nenene uses the suffix "chan"--a term of endearment--when addressing Maggie. In the Read or Dream manga, Maggie is sometimes mistaken for a boy. Her closest personal relationship outside her family is with a young blind girl. The girl initially believes that Maggie is a boy; even after she learns that Maggie is female, the girl still asks her for a kiss. Maggie finds the proposal both tempting and anxiety-provoking. Maggie's tastes in literature reflect both the stoical and emotional sides of her personality. Like a true bibliophile, Maggie can be fascinated by any book, but her favorite author is Ernest Hemingway. She also likes Nenene Sumiregawa's works too. In the Read or Dream manga Maggie enjoys the action/adventure books of the author Yunfat, yet she also loves the romantic dime novels of Wupin. Like Anita and Michelle, Maggie is ignorant of her own past. She finally learns the truth about herself and her sisters after Wendy Earheart leaves a notebook describing the three of them as creations of Dokusensha. Powers and Skills Maggie's preferred paper manipulation is puppetry, the creation of familiars or animated paper objects, though she also excels at other forms of papermastery. Of the three sisters, her role in battle is defence. Maggie may well be the most powerful papermaster of the three. When the sisters seek to rescue Nenene Sumiregawa from the headquarters of Dokusensha they are confronted by Dokusensha's own extremely powerful papermaster, the sinister Sonny Wong. Maggie elects to stand off Sonny on her own, thus allowing her sisters to proceed unhindered. Maggie has other abilities as well, though she is extremely modest about them. She is a very good cook, and seems to wind up doing the many household chores that her sisters are too lazy or distracted to perform. Maggie is an expert driver and can handle other forms of transportation as well. Like her sister Michelle, Maggie is a proficient translator. However, she tends to become too fascinated reading the material she is given, thus missing deadlines. Sources and Links This article is based on viewings of the ROD TV series, as well as the first two volumes of the Read or Dream manga series. An excellent analysis of Maggie's skills and character can be found at http://www.deathquaker.org/rod/maggie.html. Additional information and discussions can be found at http://community.livejournal.com/readordie Category:Paper Users Category:Anime Category:Manga Category:Character